After one season with Mel Tucker, Colorado football has to restart the process of rebuilding the program all over again with Karl Dorrell.
Once again, the Colorado Buffaloes are getting ready to start the season with a new head coach leading the way. The Buffaloes felt good about their future after a 5-7 record (3-6 in Pac-12 play) in head coach Mel Tucker’s first year. Plans changed when first-year head coach accepted the same position at Michigan State.
The Buffaloes had to go on another extensive search for their fourth head coach since 2011. Former UCLA head coach and Miami Dolphins assistant Karl Dorrell was hired for the job. Dorrell was the head coach of the Bruins from 2003-07 when he put together a 35-27 record and helped them to five straight bowl appearances. He was fired from UCLA after a third 6-6 regular season in 2007. Dorrell was brought on after several years of being a multi-positional coach for multiple NFL teams.
The Buffaloes were already on track for a rebuilding session until Tucker left for Michigan State. In the past three seasons, the Buffaloes have accounted for a total record of 15-21. The Buffaloes needed a spark, especially when competing with some of the top teams in the nation on and off the field.
Since joining the Pac-12 in 2011, the Buffaloes have been one of the least productive teams in the conference. Since 2011, the Buffaloes are 39-73 and have only one winning season and bowl appearance.
The Buffaloes hired Dorrell to potentially get them into their second-ever winning season as a Pac-12 member. He has had success winning games in the league, but the program also expects him to properly the team on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. The lack of a spring did not help the Buffaloes establish any momentum or stability.
The Buffaloes will need to use the remaining offseason to create an efficient left by the sudden departure of coach Tucker. The process to rebuild a winning team will take some time, mostly due to the departing players from this past season that left a huge impact on their system.